Formed in 2015 in Rochester city, Mavradoxa is a talented duo comprised by Nival (vocals, guitar and bass) and Lux (vocals and drums). Less than a year after their debut album, “Sojourners”, this Laurentian Black Metal band returns with their second full-length, “Lethean Lament”. This album offers the listeners approximately one hour of atmospherically injected black metal.

The journey starts with “Cicadan”, an instrumental and acoustic lament on a laurentian forest scenario, featuring a violin solo by Andy McGirr. This collaboration successfully intensified the melancholic atmosphere. The devilish “Phantom visage” track reveals a production that clearly emphasise the somber guitars, which make the vocals fade into their distortion. Complemented with stormy drum beats, this track results in an interesting blackened doom with a sluggish, crusty and abrasive sonority.

Furthermore, the mournful lyrics direct your attention towards the album’s title, which can be interpreted as a reference to the River Lethe. This is one of the five rivers of the greek underworld (Hades), from which the tales claim that those who drank from it, would fall into a complete state of oblivion. The dead were required to drink from River Lethe waters in order to forget their earthly life. In addition to the previous tales about the river, Lethe was also the Greek spirit and personification of oblivion.

As we keep dwelling through “Lethean Lament” it will become clear that long songs are the norm. “Crimson Waves of Autumnal Flame”, with almost 18 minutes, is a perfect example of that. Counting with Makr Welden contribution on vocals, this track moves through moments of deep and calm introspection. Counting with clean vocals and acoustic notes switching into bursts of aggressive riffs and harsh growls, this track brings into the spotlight the organic drum work of Lux. This autumnal hymn is one of the tracks where the multiple layers of Mavradoxa’s music is most evident. With its mysticism able to replace your surroundings with visions of grand ancient forests.

On the other hand, “Across the Nival Grove”, with expansive and ethereal riffs will take us to a landscape filled with mountains and their slopes. Nonetheless, this track is filled with despair, encapsulating a whirlwind of emotions. Its most graceful feature is the communion between Lux and Nival vocals (even if just for few seconds) and Andy McGirr ‘s violin contribution.

This homage to the Laurentian regions blends wonderfully with the Cascadian vibes of fellow bands like Wolves in the Throne Room, Alda, Falls of Rauros and Agalloch. Perhaps “Lethean Lament” will bring some comfort to the souls of those still mourning the departure of Agalloch. Mavradoxa, with their successful effort in “Lethean Lament” managed to turn this soundscape into something even more wondrous, mystical and introspective.

After their formation in 2015, the American atmospheric black metal band Mavradoxa released their debut full-length, Sojourners, in 2016. Since June 22nd guitarist/vocalist Nival and drummer/vocalist Lux got a successor released. This successor is titled Lethean Lament and was released via Hypnotic Dirge Records.

Lethean Lament contains four track surrounded by a folky intro and outro. In the intro, called Cicadan, one of the tw...

Recorded in the spring of 2017, Lethean Lament, the second full-length installment by American Atmospheric Black Metal duo Mavradoxa, is not only a contemplative and majestic album that is expansive, atmospheric and melancholic, but it’s perhaps the best depiction in modern underground music of what’s commonly referred to as “Laurentian Black Metal”, being highly recommended for dreary and rain-soaked days during soli...

Hailing from Rochester, NY, duo Mavradoxa play a form of atmospheric black metal that would be right at home on Bindrune Recordings. It’s a woodsy, Agalloch rooted form of black metal akin to the likes of Falls of Rauros, Alda, Wodensthrone and such. However, it does not mean its as good as those bands.

With Agalloch disbanding recently, it is time for a new band to take the throne to the best Atmospheric Black Metal outfit in the USA. With “Lethean Lament”, Mavradoxa makes their case to the throne. Unleashing over 60 minutes of highly engaging and intricate music, this release showcases the band’s creativity while unleashing very melodic and powerful songs.

For Rochester, NY based two-piece doom metal band Mavradoxa, everything in their sound seems to inhabit a lingering sense of cataclysm.

Turns out that the first impression of Lethean Lament is the right one. Take just one glance at the song list and their sophomore effort looks like a marathon of an album, those six tracks totaling just over an hour. That number is deceiving though, considering that the first “Cicadan” a dar...

MAVRADOXA is an Atmospheric Black Metal band that formed in Rochester, New York, USA in 2015. They released their debut “Sojourners” in 2016, and now have followed that up with “Lethean Lament” here in 2017. The new album contains six tracks, and a running length of just over 53 minutes. From the band’s Facebook page, their interests are in “trees and rocks and such.” “Cicadan” seems to emulate the sounds of nature t...

Lethean Lament’ is the second album from New York-based atmospheric black metal duo Mavradoxa, and just like the excellent ‘Reclaim The Darkness’ album from Australian band King last year, it’s a massive slab of nature-obsessed majesty.

Surprising and dynamic, Lux (drums, vocals) and Nival (guitars, bass, vocals) have crafted a passionate and forceful record, that even at a running time of just over an hour, holds the atten...